Chain-link and the process of making and assembling same.



H. OSSWALD.

CHAIN LIN K AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING SAME.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1914. 1,157,175

dial m Q Q the Process of Making UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE, v

HERMAN OSSWALD, OF GREENLAWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO LOGKE STEEL CHAIN COMPANY, OF GREAT RIVER, NEW YORK,- A COR-PORATION OF NEW YORK.

CHAIN-LINK AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Original application filed May 12, 1908, Serial No. 432,502. Dividedand. this application filed July 18, 1914.

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN OSSWALD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenl'awn, Long Island, in the county of Suffolk and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in andRelating to Chain-Links and and Assembling Same, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to sheet metal drive chain links and the processof making and assembling them. It is an improvement upon the inventionof S. D. Locke and Vieillard, and Osswald disclosed and patented intheir respective Letters Patent of the United States No. 580,57 9 and580,564, granted April 13th, 1897.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 432,502, filedMay 12,1908,- now Patent 1,107,831, patented Aug. 18, 1914.

One of the objects of my invention is to greatly simplify the process ofmaking sheet metal drive chain, to cheapen the cost of its production,to insure greater uniformity of the individual links than has heretoforebeen thecase, and to obviate the unnecessary and undesirable strainingand bending of the metal of which a link is formed, incident to earliermethods of making drive chains and links.

Another objectof my invention is to so systematize the steps in theformation of a sheet metal link that no unnecessary and harmful workwill be done on the metal of the link at any one step, which at avsubsequent operation' must be'undone, as has been incident to earliermethods ofmaking drive chains and links.

Another object of my invention is to form up or bend up the large end orsprocket bar and the small end or pintle bar of the link in such manneras to make them more perfect and of greater uniformity of shape andstrength than has heretofore been the case.

Another object of my invention is to preclude bulging or stretching ofthe metal in the portion of the end hook or sprocket bar' between theside bars. In each earlier sheet metal drive chain link having an endhook or sprocket bar formed from metal of the link blank between theside bars, of which I am aware, the portion of said end hook between theinner ends of the side bars has been stretched, bulged or extended indirections tending to weaken the link structure at this point.

In my improved link and made by my new process, the metal of the endhook be-' tween the side bars is formed up in the direction f its finalshape without stretchmg, bulg ng or extending out of that directionduring its formation. Accordingly,

-my improved links are of considerably greater tensile strength and moreuniform in tensile strength than any earlier links of this class. Y

Other objects of my invention will be obvious from the followingdescription of it.

Starting with a strip of metal 36, as shown in the drawings, I firstscore it on its upper and lower surfaces along lines 80 and 81, as shownin Fig. 3. This step is preferably the first step in my process and ismade ahead of and entirely in advance of any forming, shaping andsevering operations upon the strip or blank. I next sever the metal ofthe blank between the longitudinal lines of score .along a transversel1ne 82 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and bend upwardly the free end ofthe center section which is to form the narrow lip of the small end baror 'pintle as indicated at 83, .the longer section between the lines ofscore is bent downwardly and slightly crimped as. indicated at 84, thissection'beingin'tended later to form the end hook of the sprocket orlargeend bar. The short lip 83 is sufliciently raised to giveclearancefor bending upwardly the long lip of the center'section of theblank. At the next step of my process the long lip for the large end barof the link is bent upwardly as indicated at 85, while the short lip forthe small end bar is crimped as indicated at 86. At the same time thatthe longer lip is being formed into position 85, the large end bar iscrimped as indicated at 87 and transversely scored at 88 along its undersurface on the lineon which it is ultimately to be severed from the linkor strip in front of it. At the next step'in my process the small endbar is crimped as indicated at 89 and its narrow lip is thrown upwardlyin the-position 89, while the wide lip for the large end bar is bentdownwardly as indicated at 91 and the narrow lip of the large end bar isformed into almost vertical position as indicated at 90. At the nextstep the narrow lip or hook of the large end bar is curled or rolled upas indicated at 92, while the-wide lip of the large end bar is formedin-cylindrical relation thereto as indicated at 95, the link is severedfrom the strip at its rear end and final shaping of. the small end baris completed as indicated at 93; When progressive formation of a series:of connected links is desired, it. will. be: understood" that at thelast step of the formation of the end hook 92', the hook. is formedabout the pintle or small end bar' of the preceding of the chain as.indicated in the drawings;-

As one way of'carrying out my method in actual practice, I have hereinselected to illustrate a set of scoring, forming, shaping and linkconnecting elements by means of which the steps in my process may beefiected, one after the other.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in sectionand partly in side elevation of apair of dies, with a strip of metalbetween them, illustrating one way ofcarrying out my invention. .Fig. 2 is an edge view of a strip of metalshowing the process of formation into a chain, the completed coupledlinks being shown at the left end of the figure. Fig. 3

is a plan view of the metal .strip and links Shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa bottom plan view of the movable die and pitch correcting mechanismshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the stationary die. Fig. 6illustrates a link blank as formed at one of the steps in the formationof a sheet metallink blank into a 'drive chainlink by one of the earlierprocesses and apparatus. Fig. 7 is a transverse section, through theportion 96,

of the link' blank illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig.

8 is a corresponding section through a link formed in carrying out aprocess embodying my invention on the line 1616,. Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a blank, in course of formation by aprocess embodying my invention.

38, 40 indicates as a whole, a pair of upper and lower dies betweenwhich the strip of metal 36 is adapted to be fed forward step by step byany suitable means (not shown).

The dies 38, 40, are adapted to be mounted.

in a suitable press having a power operated reciprocating slide, towhichone of said dies, preferably the upper die 38, is fixed, whereby saiddie is moved up and down or toward and from the other die, 40. The die40 is preferably mounted-stationary on thebed' of the press.

The dies 38 and 40, which coiiperate with each other to form andassemble the. links, are arranged in longitudinal alinement with. theline of feed of the strip 36 and are properly centered relative to thesaid line of feed.

41, 42 are scoring knives or chisels arranged at the right hand end ofthe movable die 38 and adapted to impart lines of score to the uppersurface of the strip of metal, which lines are parallel in the directionof the feed of the said strip with the exception of a slight divergenceat their right hand ends. This divergence from parallelism of the righthand ends ofthe chisels is indicated at 41, 42, and is for a purpose tobe hereinafter described. I

43, 44 are corresponding scoring knives or chisels carried by thestationary die 40 and arranged to. impart lines of score to the undersurface of the strip of metal '36, each of which lines is directlybeneath a line of score imparted to the strip of metal by one of theupper scoring knives. 45 is a sever-- ing and crimping element onthe,upper die having a convex crimping surface. It is arranged to coiiperatewith a cutting and bending knife 46 on the lower die. The lower die isrecessed at 47 in front of the cutting knife 46 and beneath the severingelement 45. The metal of the stationary die 40 in front of the recess 47is cut away along the inclined line 48 to permit a section of the metalof each link blank to be bent downwardly by the severing and crimpingelement 45 after it has been severed at one end by the combined actionof this element and knife 46.

49 is a curved forming or crimping eleand crimping I ment on the movabledie 38, about which the metal for forming the smaller end bar or pintleof each link is bent or crimped. In frontof this former 49 is a recess50, and in front of it is an irregular shaped end bar forming punchelement 51 consisting of two .substantially quarter circles 51', 51 52is a forming and bending projection on the stationary die, it beingadapted to' enter the the'line of severance of two links which are toadjoin each other and in conjunction with the forming corners 52 52isadapted to force the metal of the link to follow the quarter circles51, 51, on the former 51. This scoring knife 53 is in vertical alinementwith the line vofintersection of the said two quarter circles ofthepunch element'51.

In advance of thesa'id 'punch element 51 the movable die is recessed asindicated at 54 to allow clearance for the free upturning of the longlip of the metal blank for a link, which at-this step of its formationprojects upwardly from the metal strip.

At 56 the stationary die is recessed to receive a cutting or severingknife 57 on the movable die, the edge 56 being a knife edge to work inconjunction with the knife 57 to sever the metal strip.

Immediately in front of the cutting knife 57, the movable die is shapedas indicated at 58 to complete the rounding and formatio of the smallend bar of each link in cooperation with the recessed section 59of thestationary die.

At 60 the movable die is recessed for the purpose of engaging the longersection or lip of metal turned up from the central portion of each linkblank and bending, curling and conforming it to the cylindrical shapedesired, at the same time causing it to en circle the small end bar orpintle of the link in front of it, thereby coupling or attaching theselinks together. The stationary die is recessed at 61 to cooperate withthe recessed portion 60 of the movable die in the final step of shapingand forming the large end bar of each link.

62 is a projection extending transversely across the recessed portion 61of the stationary 'die. It servesto prevent the end of the lips of metalforming the large end or sprocket bar of each link from engaging witheach other and to space them apart a predetermined distance. Mechanismmay be employed for extracting and guiding the formed chain links out ofthe machine, of

any suitable and well known character.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for the purpose of correcting thesize and pitch of the chain links. The size and pitch correctingmechanism is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 7 8. Of thismechanism, 7 8 is an arm extending forward from, and. preferablydetachably secured to the die holder-38. This arm 7 8? has formedpreferably, integrally with it, a downwardly iextending finger 7 8 whichis pointed at its I lower end as indicated at 7 8 the rear surface 78 ofthe said pointed finger being shorter and at a greater inclination tothe horizontal than the front surface 7 8 of the -said finger. Thefinger 7 8 is arranged to enter the sprocket opening in the last linkbut one of the links formed in the machine.

78 is a block or finger pivotally connectedthe finger 78 78 is anadjustment screw fitted in the finger 7 8 and adapted to extend on therear side of the latter and bear against the arm 7 8". Its purpose is toadjust the said finger 78 about the axis of the pivot other end securedat 78"" to the finger 78 The distance between the front wall of thedownward extension 78 of the finger 78 and the rear wall of the finger 78 remains substantially constant when the machine is in operation. If alink is shorter in pitch than it should be, these sizing fingers bringit up to proper pitch by stretching it. In practice, I have found itdesirable to form and arrange the dies 38 and 40 so that they will makethe chain links of the desired pitch from the thinnest sections of thestrip of steel used, depending upon the stretcher or pitch correctingmechanism 78 to draw the links formed from the thicker sections of thestrip of metal up to gage as they would tend to shorten the pitchbecause the inner wall of the end hook thus formed would be closer tothe center of said hook than requisite. v

The operation of the mechanism illustrated will be readily understood. Astrip of metal 36 is directed through the feed mechanism until thegripping jaws of said feed'mechanism can engage with it. Power is thenapplied toethe-apparatus to actuate the feed mechanism and slide of thepress, the strip 36 being guided so aS t0 lie properly between the dies38 and 410. The slide of the press descends and the section of metalwhich is to form a link blank is first acted upon by the longitudinalscoring knives to score the upper and lower surfaces of the stock alongthe lines 80 and 81, as

1 shown in Fig. 3. The upper die is then elevated and the feed mechanismoperated to feed the stock forward one step. This brings the scoredsection in position to be operated upon by the crimping and severingelements 45, 46. The slide descends and the portion of metal between thelines of longitudinal score is severed along the transverse line 82. Theknife 46 bends upwardly, as indicated at 83, the section of the centralportion or short lip of the link blankwhich is to be employed in formingthe small end bar or pintle of the link. The action of the severingknife and crimper 45 is to press downwardly and crimp, the end of thelonger section of the central portion 'or long lip of the link blank, asindicated at 84, which is to be employed 'in forming the large endorsprocket bar of the link before severing of the sections takes place.

The short lip 83 of each link-blank is sufficiently raised by the knife46 to give clearance for bending upwardly the long lip of the blank.When the slide is next elevated,

" the said long narrow lip so that it can remain tangent to thequartercircle 51 on the forming element 51. At the same time the shoulder'52 onthe projection 52 folds or crimps the short narrow lip for the small endbar, "as indicated at 86, against the convex forming surface of theelement 49 on the upper die, and the forming element 51' on the upperdie cooperates with the projection 52 to throw the long narrow lip ofthe link up into the recess 50, this long narrow lip remaining alwaystangent to the larger quarter circle 51 .oh the element 51. Incooperation with the scoring lmife 53 and the crimping edge 52 thequarter circle 51 on the element 51 crimps the wide lip for the largeend bar of the link, as indicated at 87.

The movable die ascends and the link blank is fed forward. Now when themovable die descends, the scoring knife 53 also imparts a transversescore 88 to the under I 4 surface of the'strip of metal and the quartercircle 51 of the element 51 in cooperation with the scoring knife 53 andthe crimping edge 52 crimps the wide lip of the small end bar, asindicated at 89, and at the same time the narrow lip of the small endbaris thrown upward as indicated at 89. The convex crimping surface of theelement 57 cooperating with the forming edge 55 bends downwardly thewide lip of the large end bar to substantially its proper position in afinished link, as indicated at 91, and simul taneously the narrow lip ofthe large end bar, remaining tangent to the quarter circle of theelement 57, is thrown almost into a vertical position, as indicated at90. The slide is again elevated and the strip is fed forward anotherstep, bringing the link blank into its final forming and assemblingposition. The slide descends and the element 60 commences to curl orroll the metal of the narrow lip of the large end bar into cylindricalshape and around the small end bar or pintle of the next preceding link.The knife edge of the element 57 acting -in conjunction with the lmifeedge 56 on the stationary die, severs the link blank from the strip ofmetal, and theelements 61 and 62 on the stationary die co-act with theelement 60 to complete theshape of the large end bar, as indicated at92. The small end bar completing shapers 58 and 59 cooperate-f to formthe small end bar into it's final the completed link out of thestationary die,

and advances it into position in which its small end bar is properlycentered relative to the forming element 60 and 61, so that the largeend bar of the next or succeeding link inthe series will be formedaround it and these two links-thus. assembled. Upon each descendingstroke of the slide, the pitch cor- .recting finger 7 8 enters the nextto the last formed link, its surface 7 8 engages the large end bar ofthe last formed link and moves rearward the last formed link,positioning said link with its small end bar overlapping the end of thestrip 36 and properly centered relative to the forming element 60, 61,the stretching and pitch correcting fingers 7 8 enters the linkcoupled-to the link entered by the finger 7 8 and these two fingerscooperate to correct the pitch of the links.

At the next elevation of the slide the extractor operates to advance theformed link-another step, and this step by step advancing of the formedlinks within the apparatus is continued, one link at a time beingdelivered from the apparatus.

It will be seen that the dies operate -simultaneously to performprogressive steps in the formation from a strip of metal of a completedlink, and to assemble it with the link next in front of it in theseries.

It has been found highly desirable to maintain thelink blank integralwith the strip as long as possible during the steps in the formation ofacomplete link. With the earlier processes for maln'n'g sheet metaldrive. chain links of which I am aware, two distinct forming or bendingoperations are performed on a'link after it has been severed from thestrip. In my new process for making these sheet metal .drive chains, buta single forming or bending operation is performed on the link after ithas been severed from the strip. The last operation, in fact, has beenstarted before the actual severing takes place, while in the earlierprocesses of which I am aware, the severing of the strip takes place twosteps before the completing of the link.

Further, in all earlier methods of making sheet metal drive chains ofwhich I am aware,'and particularly with chain made in a machineemploying the said Vieillard and Osswald patented invention, the metalof which each link is formed is subject to being bent and strained, morethan is required or necessary for the forming of the link, particularlyat points across the link at the short lip-turned portion or wide lip95of the sprocket bar or large end bar of the link and adjacent to thefront' ends of the lines] of scoring forthe sidebars, as indicat'edfat-96 in "Fig; 6. This bulgin'g or straining of 633,371 to Skogse,

- bars and there is the lines of score for the side bars.

accomplished by I In my improved combined drawing and bending of themetal at this point of the link blank. In the ma chine illustrated. inU. S. Letters Patent No. this bulging or bending of the link blanks at96 was occasioned by the combined action of the first crimper for theWide lip'95 and the scoring chisels. The metal of the links made bythese earlier processes was stretched or-drawn at and all around theinside corners of the links or at and adjacent to the ends of thechisels in the Skogse method. This weakened the metal at the corners onthe lines at the inner yends of the side bars of the naturally theweakest part of the links.

links, which are This'bulging or bending at 96 later has to bestraightened out by the action of the last punch on the upper die, andas the blank holder of said patented constructions no longer supportsthe link blank at this point,

the lower movable die, which completed the formation. of the large endbar, works against the shearing resistance of the blank at 96 which, asbefore stated, is the point of greatest weakness of themetal for thesprocket bar, because of its having been drawn and also bent, first inone direction andthen in another, at this point.

process for making sheet metal drive chain, the central portion of thelink blank which is to be bent or rolled to form end bars, is leftsubstantially flat at the ends of the lines of scoring for the side nobulging or stretching of the metal for the end bars at and between Thisis having the scoring done a step in advance ofany bending, crimping orsevering operation on the link blank, and 'by thereafter properlysupporting the are forced downward upon the-blank to vital point inmetal at this point during the operation of the bending, shaping,severing and coupling elemjents ofthe die blocks upon it. The link blanklies flat upon the lower set of scoring knives when the upper set ofscoring knives quired to properly shape it in its final cur- 'which I amaware.

vilinear form, and this without any strain- 7 .ing or bulging whichwould tend to weaken the link at this point, as Was the case with all ofthe earlier links of the same class of The end bar forming punch 51,acting in conjunctlon with the link from a blank between the side barsout.

forming and bending element52, enables the latter to freely displaceupwardly that portion of the blank between the side bars, which formsthe long lip or end hook, with; out strain or bulging of the metal atthe points where it remains integral with the side bars, thus avoidingweakening at those points such as would result from incipient crackscaused by abrupt bending or straining of the metal, and alsofacilitating the latter bending and forming of the end hook. The longersection of metal of the central portion or long narrow lip of the linkis subjected to a simple bending operation in the desired directiononly, and only the amount of bending of this section is done which isactually necessary to shape it as desired, as the metal of the centralportion of a link blank is being severed transversely, the free end ofthe longer section is simultaneously rolled or crimped for itssubsequent bending, thus obviating the necessity of other die parts thanthe transverse severing and crimping elements 45 and 46 for effectingthe essential crimpingof the free end. of the long section of thecentral portion of the link.

The diverging nature of the lines of score for the side bars at theirrear ends, is for the purpose of affording suflicient clearance at thesepoints between the side bars of, a formed link to facilitate the readyforming of the long narrowlip of the largeend bar about the small endbar of the preceding many alterations in construction and widelydiffering embodiments and applications of my invention will suggestthemselves, with.- out departing from the spirit and scopeof the claims.My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative, andare not intended to bein any sense limiting.

This application is a division of my application filed on the 12th dayof May, 1908, Serial, Number 432,502.

What I claim is:

1. The process of making a drive chain of sheet metal, said link havingside bars, a, relatively small end bar and a relatively large end bar orend hook, consisting in the following steps: first, scoring the metalblank to define the inner edges of the side bars of the link; thensubstantially simultaneously crimping the central portion of the blankbetween said lines of score, transversely severing said central portionadj acent to said crimping, tearing the two sections of the centerportion thus formed from the said side bars and bending them away fromeach other; then crimping the free'end of the shorter center section,crimpthrowing around the free ,end of the longer center section; thencrimping the rear end of the blank and throwing around the free end ofthe small center section, shaping the front end of the link blank intofinal form and at the-same time throwing stillfarther around the, freeend of the longer center section; and then rolling up the freeends'of' 2end bar, transversely severing the metal of the blank between the saidlines of score and tearing'the free ends of the central portion from theside bars and bending the narrow lip for the small end bar away from thefreeend of the said narrow lip for the large end bar; then crimping thenarrow lip for the small end bar, throwing around the narrow lip for thelarge 'end bar, and

crimping the Wide lip for the large end bar; then crimping the wide lipfor the small end bar and at the same time throwing around the narrowlip for the small'end bar, shapmg the wide lip for the large end barinto substantially final form and at the same time throwing around thenarrow lip for the large end bar; and then rolling up both narrow lipsof the end bars into final shape. 3. The process of transforming a stripof metal into a series of connected drive chain links, consisting in thefollowing progressive steps of formation for each link, between each ofwhich steps the metal strip is fed forward; first, scoring the metal:stri to define the inner edges of the side bars of the link; thensubstantially simultaneouslycrimping' the center portion of the linkblank between said lines of score, transversely severing said centerportion adjacent to said crimping, tearing the sections of said centerportion thus formed from the sidebars and bending them away from eachother; then crimping the free end of the shorter center section,crimping the front end of the link blank and throwing around the freeend of the longer section; then crimping the rear end of the link blankand throwing around the free end of the smaller center section, shapingthe front end of the link blank into final form and at the same timethrowing still farther around the freeend of the longer center section,and then commencing to roll up the larger center section, severing thepartly formed link from the strip of metal and shaping the ends of bothof said center sections into final shape, the larger section about thesmall end-bar of the next preceding link in the series. a

4. The process of making sheet metal chain links having end bars struckfrom the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting in firstscoring the metal blank to define the inner edges of the side bars ofthe link prior to the performing of any shaping operation on'said blank;then transversely severing the center portion of the link blank betweensaidlines of score and tearing the said sections of said central portionthus formed from the side bars and commencing theformation of the endbars by bending said center sections away from each other, andthereafter shaping the smaller center section and the metal at the endof the link to which it is attached to form a' small end bar, and thelonger center section and the metal of the end of the link to which itis attached to form a large end bar. o

'5. The process of .maln'ng sheet metal chain links having end barsstruck from the metal at the center of each link blank,

consisting in the following steps: first, scoring the metal blank todefine the inner edges of the side bars of the link; then substantiallysimultaneously crimping the central portion of the blank between saidlines of score; transversely severing said central portion adjacent tosaid crimping, tearing the two sections ofthe center portion thus formedfrom the said side barsand bending them away from each other; thencrimping the free end of the shorter center section, crimping the frontend of the link blank and throwing around the free end of the longercenter section; then crimping the rear end of the blank and throwingaround the free end of the small center section, shaping the front endof the link blank into final form, at the same time throwing stillfarther around the free end of the longer center section vand severingthe metal blank; and then rolling up the free ends of both centersections into final shape.

6. The process of majkingsheet metal chain.

links having-end bars struck from the metal at the center of each linkblank, consistingin the following steps; .first, scoring" the metalblank to define the inner edges of the side bars of the link; thensubstantially simultaneously crimping the central portion of the blankbetween said lines of score; transversely severing said central portionadjacent to said crimping, tearing the two sections of the/centerportion thus formed from the said side bars and bending them away fromeach other; then crimping the free end of the shorter center section,crimping the front end of the link blank, throwing around thefree end ofthe longer center section; then crimping the rear end of the blank andthrowing around the free end of the small center section, shaping thefront end of the link blank into final form andat the same time throwingstill farther around the free end of the longer center section; and thenrolling up the free ends of both center sections into final shape.

7. The process of making sheet metal chain links having end bars struckfrom the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting in thefollowing steps: first, scoring the metal blank to define. the inneredges of the side bars of the link; then substantially simultaneouslycrimping the central portion of the blank between said lines of score;transversely severing said central portion adjacent to said crimping,tearingthe two sections of the center portion thus formed from the saidside bars and bending them away from each other; then crimping the freeend of the shorter center section, crimping the front end of the linkblank, throwing around the free end of the longer center section; thencrimping the rear end of the blank and throwing around the free end ofthe small center section, shaping the front end of the link blank intofinal form, at the same time throwing still farther around the free endof the longer center section and severing the metal blank and thenrolling up the free ends of both center sectionsinto final shape.

8.- The process of making sheet metal chain links having end bars struckfrom the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting in thefollowing steps: first, scoring the metal blank to define the inneredges of the side bars of the link; then substantially simultaneouslycrimping the central portion of the blank between said lines of score,transversely severing said central portion adjacent to said crimping,tearing the two sections of the center portion thus formed from the saidside barsand bending them away from each other; then crimping the frontend of the link blank and throw- -ing around the free end of the longercenter section; then crimping the rear end of the blank and throwingaround the free end of the small center section, shaping the front endof the link blank into'final form and at the same time throwing stillfarther around the free end of the longer-center section; and thenrolling up the free ends of both center sections into final shape.

9. The process of making. sheet metal I chain links having end barsstruck from the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting inthe followingsteps: first, scoring the metal blank to define the inneredges of the side bars of the link; then substantially simultaneouslycrimping the central 60 portion of the blank between said lines ofscore, transversely severing said central portion adjacent to saidcrimping, tearing the two sections of the center portion thus formedfrom the said side bars and bending 6 one of them away from the other;then the longer center I crimping the free end of the shorter centersection, crimping the front end of the link blank and throwing aroundthe free end of section; then crimping the rear end of the blank andthrowing around the free end of the small centersection, shaping thefront end of the link blank intofinal form and at the same time throwingstill farther, around the free end of the longer center section; andthen rolling up the free ends of both center sections into final shape.

10. The process of making sheet metal chain links having end bars struckfrom the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting in thefollowing steps: first, scoring the metal blank to define the inneredges of the sidebars of the link; then substantially simultaneouslycrimping the central portion of the blank between saidlines of score,

transversely severing said central portion adjacent to said crimping,tearing the two sections of the center portion thus formed from the saidside bars and bending them away from each other; then crimping the frontend of the link blank, throwing around the free end of the longer centersection and scoring the blank transversely; then crimping the rear endof the blank and throwing around the free end of the small centersection, shaping the front end of the link blank into final form and atthe same time throwing still farther around the free end of the longercenter section; and then rolling up the free ends of both centersections into final shape.

11. The process of making sheet metal chain links having end bars struckfrom the metal at the center of each link blank, consisting in thefollowing steps: first, scoring the metal blank to define the inneredges of the side bars of the link; then substantially simultaneouslycrimping the central portion of the blank between said lines of score,transversely severing said central portion adjacent to said crimping,tearing the two sections of the center portion thus formed from the saidside bars and'bending them away from each other; then crimping the freeend of the shorter center section, crimpthrowing around the free end ofthe longer 'centersection; thencrimping the rear end of the blank andthrowing around the free end of the small center section, shaping thefront end of the link blank into final form and at the same timethrowing still farther around the free end of the longer center section;and then rolling up the free ends of both center sections into finalshape.

12. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal strip to define the inner edges of the side bars, thentransversely severing the strip between the two lines of score andsubstantially simultaneously crimping the central severed portions ofthe metal in opposheet metal which consists in scoring the.

metal strip to define the inner edges of the side .bars, thentransversely severing the strip between the two lines of score andsubstantially simultaneously crimping the central severed portions ofthe metal in op-- posite directions, and then" forming the centralportions'into end bars and severing the strip of metal into links duringthe formation of the end bars with the end bar formed from one sectionencircling the end bar formed from the other section of thenextpreceding link.

.14. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consistsin scoring the metal strip to define. the inner edges of the side bars,then transversely severing the strip between the two lines of score andsubstantially simultaneously crimping the central severed portions ofthe metal in opposite directions, then partially forming the centralportions thus formed into end bars, and scoring the strip of metaltransversely, then completely bending the central portions into endbars, of metal into links.

15. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the sidebars; thentransversely severing the strip between the two lines of score andsubstantially simultaneously crimping the central severed portions ofthe metal thus 1 formed in opposite directions; then crimping the 'freeend 'of the shorter center section, crimping the front end of the linkblank and throwing around the free end of the longer center section; andthen rolling the center sections into end bars and severing the stripsof metal into links during the formation of the end bars.

16'. The process of making chain "links from sheet metal which consistsin scoring the metal strip to define the inner edges of the side bars;then transversely severing the strip between the two lines of score andsubstantially simultaneously crimping or bending the central severedportions of the metal in opposite directions; then crimping the free endof the shorter section, crimping the front end of the link blank andthrowing around the free end of the longer center section; then crimpingthe rear end of the blank and throwing around the free end of shapingthe front end of the link blank into final form; and

then forming the center sections into end bars and severing the strip ofmetal into links during the formation of the end bars. 17. The processof making chain links and severing the strip from sheet metal whichconsists in scoring a metal strip to define the inner edges of the side.bars then transversely severing the strip between the two lines of scoreand substantially simultaneously crimping the severed center sections ofthe metal thus formed in opposite directions; then crimping the frontand rear ends of the link blank and throwing -around the free end of thelonger center section; and then rolling the center sections into endbars and severing the link from the strip of metal.

18. The process of making chain from sheet -metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the side bars; thentransversely severing the blank between the two lines of score andseparating the center sections thus formed ,from the side bars; and thenshaping the severed center sections into end bars atthe ends of. thelink to which they are respectively attached with one center sectionabout the other center 'section'of the precedin link.

19. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the side bars, thentransversely severingthe blank between the two lines of score,tearin(gthe center sections thus formed from the si e bars and bendingone of the center sections away from the other section; and then shapingthe severed center sections into end bars at the ends of the link towhich they are respectively attached.

20. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the side bars; thentransversely severing the blank between the two lines of score, tearingthe center sections thus formed from the side bars; and then shaping thesevered center sections into end bars at the ends of the link to whichthey are respectively attached.

21. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring a metal strip to define the inner edges of the side bars, thentransversely severing the strip between the two lines of score, andseparating the center sections of the metal thus formed from the sidebars and then shaping the center sections into end bars at the ends ofthe link to which they are respectively attached and" severing the stripof metal into links during the formation of the end bars.'

22. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inseparating from the blank the central portion thereof, and severing saidcentral portion transversely to form center sections; then crimping thelink blank to form the link ends; and then rolling or bendingthe centersections into end bars at the ends of the link blank to which theyagattachedr 23."The process of making chain links which consists inscoring the metal to define the edges of the side bars, thentransversely severing the central portion of the metal between the linesof score and sepa rating the center sections thus formed from the sidebars prior to bending the blank ends, and then rolling or bending thecenter sections into end bars at the ends of the blanks to which theyare attached.

25. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the side bars; thentransversely scoring the central portion of the metal between the lines.of score and separating the center sections thus formed from the sidebars; then crimping the wide adjacent ends of the links into final shapeand rolling one of the center sections into an end bar; and finallyrolling the other center section into an end bar.

26." The process of making chain links which consists in scoring themetal to define.

the edges of the side bars, then transversely severing thecentraliportion the metal b'etween the lines of score and separating thecenter sections thus formed from the side bars prior to bending theblank ends, then v crimping or bending the ends of the blanks anddisplacing the center sections; and

then rolling or bending the center sections into end bars at the ends ofthe blanks to which they are attached.

27. The process of making chain links from sheet metal which consists inscoring the metal to define the inner edges of the side bars; thentransversely scoring the central portion of the metal between the linesof score and separating the center sections thus formed from the sidebars, then crimping the wide adjacent ends of the links into finalshape; then scoring the metal between the crimped ends of the links androlling one of'the center sections into an end bar; and finally rollingthe other center section into an end bar.

.28. A sheet metal drive chain link formed from a stripoi' metal, saidlink having side bars defined by lon itudinal lines of score, arelatively small end bar or pintle and a relatively large sprocket baror end hook struck from the metal of the blank between said longitudinallines of score, the metal in thehook portion between said side barsbeing unextended or unstretched.

29. A sheet metal drive chain link formed from a strip of metal, saidlink having side bars defined by longitudinal lines of score,

' ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

- HERMAN OSSWALD. Witnesses:

J. B. SINGER,

W. J. HART.

